Lt.-Commander Helmuth Patzig was the war time commander of U-86 which in June 1918 sank the Llandovery Castle. Does anyone know his 1919 to his death history and fate? In 1921 he fled because the Leipzig based German Supreme Court wanted to try him for murder. Did he end up in Argentina, Spain or Scandinavia? Did he ever return to Germany? Did he have relatvies with the same surname who served in World War Two?Thanks,John

According to a site I can't find now:The trial against Patzig was stopped on March 20, 1931 in virtue of the laws of amnesty from July 14, 1927 and October 24, 1930 for all crimes of war which had a political character.After recognizing his error [i.e. sinking a hospital ship], the intention of the "criminal" action of Patzig [i.e. shooting at the survivors] was to avoid a new propaganda campaign against Germany. So the court considered that his action had a political character.

According to a site I can't find now:The trial against Patzig was stopped on March 20, 1931 in virtue of the laws of amnesty from July 14, 1927 and October 24, 1930 for all crimes of war which had a political character.After recognizing his error [i.e. sinking a hospital ship], the intention of the "criminal" action of Patzig [i.e. shooting at the survivors] was to avoid a new propaganda campaign against Germany. So the court considered that his action had a political character.

Yes it definitely helps though I generally knew that the Weimar Republic had officially legally repudiated much of the Liepzig war crimes trails results in the latter 1920s and early 30's before Hitler came to power and repudiated the entire Versailles Peace Treaty in 1933.

However I am NOT sure that the ww1 Patzig was the same as the WW2 U-boat Patzig. It is possible. If I remember from my notes Patzig was relatively old as a uboat commander in ww1 itself. I think he was born in the 1880s so that he would have been pretty old by ww2. There were of course Patzig families from the German Polish area (Danzig specificaly now Gdansk,Poland) and it is possible that the ww2 Patzig was a close enough relative. Any of our German subscribers: can you help out?

Helmut Patzig avoided prosecution because, in fact, he was in Danzig. He was born on October 26, 1890 and a relatively junior officer to be a submarine commander, especially one commanding a big U-series boat. He was also an Oberleutnant zur See, not a Kapitänleutnant, when in coomand of U 86 and U 90.

Helmut Patzig avoided prosecution because, in fact, he was in Danzig. He was born on October 26, 1890 and a relatively junior officer to be a submarine commander, especially one commanding a big U-series boat. He was also an Oberleutnant zur See, not a Kapitänleutnant, when in coomand of U 86 and U 90.

Best wishes,Michael

Relative to the average age of uboat commanders he was NOT young though.Thanks,John

He may have avoided prosecution because his family was from Danzig but what happened if he travelled into or through Germany?

Relative to the average age of uboat commanders he was NOT young though.

Officers became U-boat commanders when relatively near the top of the Oberleutnant zur See range or were Kapitänleutnants. Patzig was in Crew 4/10 (date entered the navy as a cadet). Only six of 423 WWI U-boat commanders entered the Kaiserliche Marine after that date. Crew 4/10 produced 29 U-commanders. The April inductions for 1900 through 1907 produced at least 20 each. Crew 4/08 produced 48 U-boats commanders; Crew 4/09 61. Patzig was older than some of the Crew 4/09 guys but none or very, very few of the Crew 4/08 commanders.

Thanks so much for this latest book and probably the best from the German language review that I was able to decipher! Patzig's fate though is still somewhat mysterious. Presuming that he was the same man and that he was demobbed in May 45 what happened to him afterwards?John

Ron Young tells me that Patzig died on 11 March 1984. Furthermore, in an interview in the early 1980’s Patzig stated that he and his crew did not make any deliberate attempt to kill the survivors of the LLANDOVERY CASTLE. Where he got this information I do not know but he is usually reliable.

Clio: Thank you so much! I have sought this information for years. Now I only need to CONFIRM through verifiable documentation this ending of this man's life which I think he probably died in Germany (hopefully West!?) will not be too dificult. Anyone game for doing this (like some of our Deutschland GWF members)?Danke!John